Fruit-box.



No. 702 77s. Patenfedlne |7 .|902l w. CLEMENT.-

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(Appuuation med um. 12, 1962) (Np Modal.) 2 sham-sheet l.

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Patented June I7, |902.

w. CLEMENT..

Fault Box. (Application led'Mar. 12, 1902.)

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` UNITD STATES PATENT 'FFICE.

WILLIAM CLEMENT, OF TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN.

FRUIT-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,776, aata June 17, 1902.y

V Application liled March 12, 1902. Serial No. 97,938. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CLEMENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at-Traverse City,in the county ofGrand Traverse and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Fruit-Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates-generally to fruitboxes, and particul'arlyto that class made of pasteboard or wood veneer.

The object of the invention is in a ready, simple,feasible,and thoroughly-efficient manner to effect assemblage'of the parts of the box without the employment of an adhesive or 'of fastening devices; furthermore, to provide a box in which the parts may be readily assembled or set up for use.

With these and other objects inview, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a fruit-box, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. l

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specicationyand in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, there are illustrated four forms of embodiment of the invention, each capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited maybe varied or changed-asvto shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing fromthe spirit thereof, and in these drawings- Figure lis a view in perspective of a fruitbox constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the same provided with a lid or cover adapted for use as a candy-box. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view in plan, partly broken away.- Fig. et is a view in plan of the box-blank. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through a modified form of box.

The-means for assembling the ends of the box-blank to present it in box form consists in providing one terminal with a lockingtongue to engagera slot disposed near the other terminal. The underlying and generic featurecommon to each form of embodiment 'of the invention herein illustrated is the disposing of the bottom of the box in such rea lation to the lower terminal of the lockingtongue as positively to hold it against accidental separation from the slot with which it coacts. In other words, the edge of the bottomis caused to bear directly against the said terminal of the locking-tongue. This feature is also common to the lid, where oneY is employed, as shown in Figs. 1,2, and9. It is to be noted at this point that the invention is not to be limited to the employment of a lid, as this will, as a rule, only be employed when the box is used for holding candy or the like, and will be dispensed with when the box contains fruit, it being a de- 7 It is further to be noted that each form of box herein illustrated is shown as provided with -'ventilatingopenings; but it is obvious that l be carried into elfect in the construction of hatboxes or boxes for holding dilferent kinds of merchandise, -such construction merely requirng a larger size of blank.

Referring to the drawings and to Figs. l to 4 thereof, l designates the body ot the box, 2 the bottom, and 3 the lid or cover. The body ,sideratum that air should freely contact'v 'therewith and circulate therethrough.

of the box is made from a blank 4, (shown in f Fig. 4,) which may be of pasteboard, heavy paper, or wood veneer, as may be preferred.

One terminal of the blank is provided with a locking-tongue comprising two members 5 and 6, the former of which by preference is disposed toward the top of the box, both tongues being separated from Athe blank by a slot or incision 7, the ends of thetongues being cut off to causethem to lie within the plane of the edges of the blank. The tongue 5 is longer and broader than the tongue 6, this arrangement being necessary in or'der that when inserted through the slot 8,` near the end of the opposite terminal, (which slot,as clearly shown in Fig. 4, isdisposed at an angleto the end of the blank,) the edges of the blank will be in parallelism and not twisted out of line. The angular disposition of the slot 8 assists materially in holding the tongues in engagement therewith; but it will be obvious that if preferred the tongues may both be made of the same width, in which case the slot would extend parallel with the end of the blank. In associating the tongues with the locking-slot 8 the tongue 5 is first passed into the slot from the outer side of the boX and the tongue 6 is then inserted and the tongue-bearing end of the blank is moved down to interlock the tongue 6 with the blank below the lower terminal of the slot, both of the tongues being then disposed on the inner side of the body thus formed, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The blank is also provided with a plurality of slots Si), which constitute Ventilating-openings, and with other slots lO-in this instance fourthat are disposed parallel with the lower edge of the blank and are designed to be engaged by the periphery of the bottom This bottom, as shown in Fig. 3, is by preference made of a circular piece of material, the same as that from which the body is constructed, and after the body has been set up in the manner described the bottom is forced into position and its periphery will project through the openings lO at four points, as shown at ll, thereby causing the body to assume an ap proximately rectangular contour, as shown in Fig. 3. When the bottom is thus positioned in place, it bears against the tongue 6, approximately about midway of its length, as `shown in Fig. 2, thereby in an obvious manner rmly locking this tongue against separation from the slot 8. The lid 3, to which reference has been made, is constructed in precisely the same manner as the body, except that it is of less height and is not provided with Ventilating-openings. When a lid is employed with the box, the openings 9 may be omitted, as before pointed out. Generally it will be preferred to make :the bottom and top of the lid circular, as shown; but it will be obvious that they may be otherwise contoured and still be within the scope of the invention.

In the form of embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5 there is exhibited a double box-that is, one formed into two compartments 12 and 13 by a centrally-arranged partition 14E. In this form of box two lockingtongues l5 will be employed, and the bottom 1G and partition let coact with the lockingtongues in the manner described to prevent separation in use. The box is also shown as provided with a cover 17; but this may be on1itted,if preferred. This form of box,which is designed to hold, say, two quarts, will be found highly desirable in shipping berries, inasmuch as the weight will be divided by the partition, so that those in the lower compart- In shipping these boxes it is intended thatv the blanks shall be left unassembled, thereby lsaving room and cost in shipping, the purchaser to assemble the boxes as needed.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that by the peculiar lnanner of interlocking the terminals of the blank to present the body and by the practical manner of assembling the bottom with the body that the box is as securely connected in all of its parts as if adhesives or metallic fastening means were employed; but by eliminating the necessity of their employment the cost of production of the box is reduced to a minimum. In use a box constructed in the manner described will be thoroughly effective for the purposes designed and may be manufactured and sold at a price that will recommend it to users.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A multiple-blank box comprising in its construction a strip adapted to be bent upon itself and connected at its ends, and a bottom substantially circular in form and adapted to protrude through apertures in the strip, whereby when the free ends of the strip are connected, the box will be substantially p0- lygonal in plan.

2. A multiple-blank box comprising in its construction a strip adapted to be bent upon itself and connected at its ends byalockingtongue, and a bottom substantially circular in form and adapted to protrude through apertures in the strip and to bear against the tongue.

3. A multiple-blank box comprising in its construction a strip adapted to be bent upon itself and connected at its ends by a twomembered locking-tongue, and a bottom substantially circular in form and adapted to protrude through apertures in the strip and to bear against the lower member of the tongue.

4:. A multiple-blank box comprising in its construction a strip provided with two series of apertures, one series of which constitutes Ventilating-openings, said strip being adapted to be bent upon itself and connected at its end by a locking-tongue, and a bottom substantially circular in form and adapted to protrude through the other series and to bear against the tongue.

5. A multiple-blank box comprising in its construction a strip adapted to be bent upon itself and connected at its ends by two twomembered lockingtongues, the lower terminals of which are disposed respectively near the center and the lower portion of the strip, and a bottom and a partition substantially circular in form and adapted to protrude through apertures in the strip and to bear against the lower terminals of the lockingtongues.

G. A fruit-box comprising a body and a lid,

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one of which is constructed of a strip bent myvown I have hereto affixed my signature t upon itself and connected aJt-its ends by a, the presence of two witnesses. t u locking-tongue and an end substantially circularix forn and adapted to protrude through c WILLAM 5 apertures in the strip and to bear against the l Witnesses:

tongue. f f C; O. CARVER,

In testimcnythat I'clairn the foregoing as 1 ERNEST H. ALLYN. 

